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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27119897">we were lovers past tense</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliciousVegetarian/pseuds/MaliciousVegetarian'>MaliciousVegetarian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Into the Jaskierverse [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Disappearance, Discussion of assumed death, M/M, Mystery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:07:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,661</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27119897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliciousVegetarian/pseuds/MaliciousVegetarian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Jaskier laughs again, and wipes his eyes again, this time on his sleeves.  “I’m sorry I’m such a mess, I just -  I thought -”</i>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <i>“Your Geralt is dead?” Geralt asks, voice careful.</i></p><p> </p><p>  <i>“Yes.  Well, he’s missing.  He’s been gone for ten years now.”  Jaskier’s voice breaks a little on the last part.</i></p><p> </p><p>  <i>Geralt nods, eyes intent.  Ciri has the urge to fill the silence, but isn’t sure how to, let alone if she should.  The moment seems to hang in the air like a dewdrop on a spider’s web, the force of Jaskier’s grief quivering in the wind.  Ciri can’t help but imagine losing her own Geralt like that, and is sharply reminded that it could become a reality before this whole ordeal is over.</i></p><p> </p><p>Geralt and Ciri find themselves in a world whose Geralt has been missing for ten years.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Into the Jaskierverse [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1895545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>165</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>we were lovers past tense</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It's here!  I am vibrating with excitement to share this.  This is set in <i>in your own sweet time</i> universe (aka the dark fic), and although nothing from it has been posted yet, I'm planning to change that sometime in the next month.  A huge thanks to KHansen for organizing all of this, I've had a blast.  And another huge thanks to ghostinthelibrary for betaing, and teamfreehoodies for helping with tags.</p><p>Warnings: discussions of death, oc death, and an apocalyptic scenario</p><p>Title from Sugartown by the Fratellis</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ciri feels the rocks under her feet first, then the cool air.  She is surrounded by gray - gray sky, gray rocky beach, gray ocean.  The only thing standing out is the sharp green and black of the pine forest breaking up the line of the sky.  A few white birds dart above the sea, standing out against the clouds.  She feels disconnected from the world, like not all of her made it.</p><p>Next to her, Geralt sinks to his knees, one hand braced against the rocky surface.  Ciri realizes suddenly that she’s shaking, and sinks down beside him.  The jump must have gone wrong, she thinks hazily.  Did she - did she leave something behind?</p><p>Slowly, she takes stock of herself, checking that everything is where it should be and trying to ground herself at the same time.  She focuses on the sound of the seagulls and the lapping of waves, and the feeling of the stones biting into her legs.  This is real, she tells herself.  This is a real world.</p><p>Geralt curses next to her, slowly shifting to another position.  “Ciri?”</p><p>“I’m okay,” she tells him.  “Are you?”</p><p>He nods, pushing himself into a standing position, wincing as the rocks jab at him.  He holds a hand out to Ciri and she takes it, letting him help her up.  Her vision dissolves into rows of hexagons, but she keeps her feet under her.</p><p>She turns to look more closely at the forest.  It’s mostly pines, and through the trees she can see a small camp, and the outline of a horse standing patiently by.  “There’s someone here,” she says, reaching one hand up to the pendant.  There’s nothing yet, but there had been a Jaskier nearby last time, although not close enough to set it off.</p><p>The rocky beach is longer than she thought, sloping gently into the pines.  Geralt keeps looking at Ciri as if to reassure himself that she’s still there.  </p><p>The camp is neatly set up in a small clearing, packed away for the day until whoever it is returns.  There’s a bedroll that’s been rolled up, a small, recently used firepit, and several packs strung up in a tree to keep them safe from predators.  But it’s what Ciri sees at the far end of the campsite that really catches her attention.</p><p>“Geralt,” she says.  “Is that Roach?”</p><p>Geralt looks up from examining the packs.  “.. . It is.”  He walks toward her, and she nickers at him loudly.  </p><p>“There must be another Geralt somewhere around,” Ciri says, reaching a hand up again to the pendant.  As she does, it begins to vibrate. She looks again at the single bed roll.  “. . . Or not.”</p><p>“Geralt?”  Jaskier’s voice comes from the edge of the little clearing, in the direction of the deeper woods.  Ciri spins around, and sees him standing there in a charcoal gray doublet, watching Geralt like he’s looking at a ghost.</p><p>“Jaskier,” Geralt says carefully.  A moment later, Jaskier is launching himself forward and hugging Geralt hard, sobbing into his shoulder.  Geralt stands frozen for a moment, then raises his arms to gently embrace Jaskier.</p><p>For a long moment, they stay there, Jaskier seemingly unable to get control of himself.  Ciri kicks at the pine needles under her feet, not wanting to interrupt but not sure what else to do.</p><p>After what feels like hours, Jaskier unburies his face and cradles Geralt’s face with one hand.  “Where the hell have you been?”  He asks, breathless.  “All this time, I thought you were -”  He stops himself and wraps his arms around Geralt again.</p><p>Geralt glances anxiously at Ciri.  She understands his hesitation, but they’re going to have to tell Jaskier that they aren’t his Geralt and Ciri, instead of letting him believe Geralt belongs to this world.  And once again, it seems like this world’s Geralt is dead.</p><p>As Jaskier pulls back, he seems to notice Ciri for the first time.  He looks her over briefly, then turns his attention back to Geralt, drawn in by his presence.</p><p>“How - where - I don’t even know where to start, I’m just so glad to see you again.”</p><p>“Jaskier,” Geralt says again, preparing himself.  “I’m not - I’m not Geralt.”</p><p>Jaskier’s face crinkles in confusion.  “What do you mean, what other Geralt would you be?  Whatever’s happened, you’re still mine, if you want to be."</p><p>Geralt shakes his head, sadness written in his face.  “Jaskier, I’m not from this world.  Ciri and I came from a different one, by magic.”</p><p>Technically they came from several different ones, but Ciri isn’t going to point that out right now.  </p><p>Jaskier looks at Geralt like he’s lost his mind.  Ciri recognizes the emotion, and jumps in before Geralt can muck it up.  “You have magic here?”</p><p>Jaskier nods, only looking more confused.  Ciri pushes ahead.  “It’s like how mages can portal from place to place, right?  Only I can jump from world to world.  Worlds mostly like our own or entirely different.”</p><p>Jaskier nods slowly, still not following.  “I suppose that makes sense, I -” Tears have begun to flow from his eyes again, and he reaches up to wipe them away.  “What am I saying?  No, no it doesn’t make sense.  You’re- you’re Geralt, you have to be.”<br/>
Geralt puts a steadying hand on Jaskier’s shoulder.  “I’m sorry,” he says, “but she’s right. We’re only here to try to find our friend - the you from our world.”</p><p>Jaskier’s laugh is slightly hysterical.  “So you’re just - jumping from world to world?”</p><p>“Pretty much,” Ciri says.  She tries to remember exactly how many it’s been, but finds she’s lost count.</p><p>Jaskier laughs again, and wipes his eyes again, this time on his sleeves.  “I’m sorry I’m such a mess, I just -  I thought -”</p><p>“Your Geralt is dead?” Geralt asks, voice careful.</p><p>“Yes.  Well, he’s missing.  He’s been gone for ten years now.”  Jaskier’s voice breaks a little on the last part.</p><p>Geralt nods, eyes intent.  Ciri has the urge to fill the silence, but isn’t sure how to, let alone if she should.  The moment seems to hang in the air like a dewdrop on a spider’s web, the force of Jaskier’s grief quivering in the wind.  Ciri can’t help but imagine losing her own Geralt like that, and is sharply reminded that it could become a reality before this whole ordeal is over.</p><p>She’s glad she has him with her.  Even though she wouldn’t wish this on him for the world, she’s glad she’s not alone.</p><p>“What happened?” she asks, even though she doesn’t really want to know.</p><p>Jaskier sighs.  “There’s so much we’ll never know.  He took what should have been an easy contract and never came back.  When I went looking for him, I found the monster dead, Roach standing nearby, and no sign of Geralt. There’s been no sign of him since.”</p><p>“You never found anything?”  The Geralt in front of them asks.</p><p>Jaskier shakes his head.  “I spent the days after searching for him, but there was no trace of him.”</p><p>It’s an odd story, one Ciri regrets not having time to find the answers to.</p><p>“I see you kept Roach,” she says, keeping her voice open and friendly.  “What are the two of you doing all the way out here?”</p><p>“I’ve come here every year since Geralt disappeared, to be alone for a while.  The rest of the year I keep myself busy, but I find it helps to take this time for myself.”  As he says this, he seems to really register Ciri’s presence.  “Wait.  Who are you, exactly?  How do you know - this Geralt?”</p><p>Geralt goes to answer, but again, Ciri is quicker than him.  If Jaskier doesn’t recognize her, it follows that Geralt never managed to claim her as his child surprise, and that means they have no idea what’s been happening in Cintra.  If Geralt is careless enough to introduce her by her full title, it could mean trouble.</p><p>“I’m Ciri,” she says.  “Geralt’s child surprise.”</p><p>“Oh,” Jaskier says, clearly - well, surprised, and starting to tear up again.  “I’m sorry I never got the chance to meet you.”</p><p>“I am as well,” Ciri tells him gently.  “I don’t know if this helps, but in our world you’re one of my best friends.”</p><p>He smiles faintly.  “That’s nice to hear.  Thank you.”  He turns and examines his camp, hands on his hips.  “I need to be back at Cervos’ headquarters by tomorrow, I guess you two will have to come with me.  We’ll keep an eye out for your friend on the way, but I can’t leave you out here alone.”</p><p>“We’d be fine, but we’ll come with you regardless.”  Geralt says.  Ciri nods, because this seems to be the best plan of action.</p><p>Jaskier smiles again, and moves to begin packing the camp onto Roach.  Ciri moves to help, but he shakes his head.  “I’ve got it, I’ve done it so many times I’m quicker on my own.”  So she and Geralt stand awkwardly to the side.</p><p>He’s right about his speed - Vesemir would have been pleased with him.  Roach lets him load her up without complaint, and then they set out, Jaskier riding and Geralt and Ciri walking beside him.</p><p>They travel in silence, following a small path through the pine forest which seems more like a deer trail, and onto a larger one after about an hour of travel.  Jaskier tells them it’ll only be a night’s travel to the headquarters.  Ciri realizes he hasn’t actually told them what the organization is in the business of.</p><p>As they come onto the larger path, clouds are beginning to gather.  Jaskier glances up on them with a practiced eye.  “We’ll have to be fast if we want to beat the rain.  It’ll be hard with you two on foot, but I think we can make it.  A friend of mine runs an inn near here.”</p><p>“We’re tough,” Geralt says.</p><p>“I’m sure you are, but you’ve also been hopping between universes, which sounds very tiring.”</p><p>Geralt grunts in response.</p><p>Ciri <i>is</i> tired, but she doesn’t really mind the walk.  She learned a long time ago to get lost in her thoughts while traveling, staying just aware enough to avoid tripping over something.  At the moment, she’s digesting the worlds they’ve been to most recently, thinking about Jaskier and the Watcher and the probability of finding either of them.</p><p>She’s thinking about the predominance of Jaskiers who are also witchers when she feels the first raindrops.   By now the trees have changed, spacing out and turning deciduous.  There are fallen leaves from past years under her feet, and she suddenly realizes it must be early spring.  The rain is barely a sprinkle, but the dark sky threatens to do is worst.</p><p>“We’re nearly to Marrisa’s,” Jaskier says.  “It’s extended our travels by a few hours, but that’s better than getting soaked.”  Next to him, Geralt hms.</p><p>Jaskier’s decision is reinforced moments later, as the skies open.  He guides them through the trees to a sprawl of small, squat houses, which seem to spiral out from a building that looks more like a mushroom than anything else.  It all seems almost unbearably cozy.</p><p>The sign hanging from the mushroom inn proclaims it the Eagle and Child.  Jaskier dismounts easily, and leads them in the direction of a small stable.  Outside is a small child with dark curly hair and light skin waiting for them.</p><p>“Hello, Thom,” Jaskier says gravely.  “I’ve brought Roach to visit you.”</p><p>The boy doesn’t waste a moment before throwing his arms around Jaskier, grinning broadly.  “I missed you!”</p><p>Jaskier smiles at him.  “I’ve missed you as well.  Now go and get Lino to take Roach for me, it’s pouring buckets out here and my friends have had a long journey.”</p><p>Thom’s grin reveals several missing teeth.  “We don’t have to wait for hir, I can take Roach!  Ma’s been letting me help in the stables now I’m ten.”</p><p>“Well in that case!”  Jaskier hands the reins to the boy, who leads Roach with confidence despite barely coming up to her chest.</p><p>“Should we wait and see if he needs help?”  Ciri whispers.</p><p>Jaskier shakes his head.  “If Marrisa trusts Thom with the horses, then I do too.  Besides, I’m sure they have stools.”</p><p>Ciri notices Geralt watching Jaskier with a softness in his eyes, and shakes her head.  His crush really does transcend worlds.</p><p>The inside of the inn is as cozy as the outside.  It’s lit only by a few hanging lanterns, tin with elaborate patterns.  In one corner a fireplace roars, surrounded by sturdily built tables and chairs, made from some dark wood.  On the opposite wall is the bar, and a door Ciri assumes leads to the kitchen.  A stringy dark-haired woman with the same long nose as Thom is behind it.  </p><p>“Marrisa!” Jaskier calls as he enters.  “How lovely it is to once again frequent your esteemed establishment.”</p><p>“Jaskier!” she calls warmly.  “It’s wonderful to have you back.”</p><p>She comes out from the bar to embrace him tightly.  “Lino is out with hir friends, but ze’ll be over the moon to see you.”</p><p>Jaskier smiles.  “Ze’s been able to make friends in the village?  That’s wonderful.”</p><p>Marrisa nods.  “Yes, ze and the baker’s daughters are almost inseparable.  They have twins, you know, and -” she notices Geralt and Ciri standing in the doorway.  “Come in, come in!  Jaskier, you didn’t tell me you brought guests!”</p><p>Ciri glances at Jaskier, not sure how to introduce them but he winks at her and plunges in.  “This is my friend Roger and his daughter Ciri.  They’re traveling to Cervos with me.”</p><p>Marrisa’s eyes light up.  “Ah, you’re one of us.  Jaskier is wonderful, isn’t he?  I’m sure he’ll be a great help to you and your daughter.”</p><p>“He is,” Geralt says softly, and Ciri nods.  She’s not entirely sure what’s going on, but it seems best to roll with it.</p><p>“We were so lucky to have found him,” she says.  Marrisa nods.</p><p>“Same here, I don’t know what I could have done for Lino or Thom without him.”</p><p>“Marrisa, could you get us drinks?”  Jaskier asks quickly.  She beams at him again.</p><p>“Of course, of course.  Ales all around?”</p><p>Jaskier does a mock bow.  “If you would be so kind, dear lady.”</p><p>Marrisa shepherds them to a sturdy table.  “You’re a little earlier than our usual crowd,” she says as they sit down.  “Trying to beat the rain?”</p><p>“Yes,” Geralt says.</p><p>“Well, I’m glad you made it in time.”  She leaves them be.</p><p>Jaskier bends over the table to whisper, “I couldn’t tell her who Geralt was, she’s heard me talk about him before.  So we’re pretending you’re people I’ve helped and am bringing back to Cervos to rest for a while.”</p><p>“What exactly does Cervos do?” Geralt asks, less sharply than he would have for anyone else.</p><p>“We help people,” Jaskier says simply.  “Most often it’s people who’ve been forced into sex work, or people who’s partners are abusive to them, but we’ll assist anyone in a bad situation.  “If they need, we’ll offer them a place to stay at our headquarters - we have quite a nice estate.”</p><p>“That sounds lovely,” Ciri says.  “So what do you need us to do?”</p><p>Jaskier taps his fingers on the table.  “I think if Marrisa asks, you just say that you’re running from something - no, someone would be better.  She’s too kind to press you for details, but it might be good to have a person in mind, just in case.”</p><p>“I have someone in mind,” Geralt says a little darkly.</p><p>“It’s not that far from the truth, in a way,” Ciri muses.  Jaskier gives her a strange look, but moves on.</p><p>“Excellent.”  He props one arm on the back of his chair and turns to Geralt.  “And you’re alright going by Roger?  My Geralt sometimes used it as an alias.”</p><p>Geralt shrugs, in a way Ciri recognizes to mean, ‘don’t really care.’</p><p>Marrisa brings the ales, and for a few minutes they drink in companionable silence.  Ciri takes a moment to let herself rest, the frantic motion of the past weeks falling away from her.  This world, despite the lack of Geralt, seems good.  There’s something about this Jaskier as well, a studied quiet, that puts her at ease.  He’s learned to turn all his energy towards someone, instead of at them.</p><p>“So what exactly do you do at this organization?” she asks, putting her mug down.</p><p>He tilts his hand back and forth.  “A little of this, a little of that, most of the time, but when I’m staying at the headquarters I work with the children.”</p><p>“Oh?” Geralt asks, with his listening-to-Jaskier face on.  </p><p>“It’s very interesting, really.  Children respond to trauma far differently than adults.  There’s little enough written about how the human mind reacts to such things, but especially children.  People tend to view them as tiny adults, but I’ve found that their brains work in their own way.”  He’s clearly passionate about his topic, his eyes seeming to sparkle in [union] with his words.  “I’ve spent the past eight years observing them, and trying to help the children who come through Cervos readjust to the world.”<br/>
“That’s incredible,” Ciri says, and she means it.  She thinks back to the scared fourteen year old she had once been, and she wishes she had had someone like this Jaskier to talk to.</p><p>“It is,” Geralt agrees, looking intently at Jaskier.  “You helped Marrisa and her children, yes?”</p><p>Jaskier nods.  “I won’t go into the details without their consent, but yes.  Thom was still a toddler when I met them, and Lino not much older.  Several of my colleagues had helped them out of their situation, and I worked with the children and came to know the whole family.”</p><p>“Do you have many people like this?” Ciri asks.  Jaskier cocks his head inquisitively.  She elaborates, “People you’ve helped, who you still keep in touch with.”</p><p>He smiles.  “A fair few.  Marrisa and the kids are a bit special, I see them at least once a year when I come out here, but there are a number of people who write to me on occasion, or who come to visit time to time.”</p><p>Conversation is interrupted as the door flies open, revealing a teenager with olive skin and lanky black hair.  When ze sees Jaskier, ze launches hirself across the room.</p><p>“Jaskier!  Thom told me you were back, but I thought he was pretending until I saw Roach in the stables.  You never come by twice!  Are you staying long?”</p><p>Jaskier grins, standing to embrace hir.  “It’s good to see you once again, Lino.  Unfortunately my visit shall be brief, as my companions are in need of an escort to Cervos headquarters.”</p><p>Ze turns to Ciri and Geralt and sticks out hir hand.  “Any friend of Jaskier’s is a friend of mine.  I’m Lino, Marrisa’s offspring.”</p><p>“Offspring?” Ciri asks, taking hir hand.</p><p>“We’re still trying to find a good word, since son and daughter are -” ze shudders, unable to find the words, then continues.  “It really is lovely to have you here.  How long have you been traveling with Jaskier?”</p><p> </p><p>“A week or so,” Geralt says.  “It was a stroke of luck that he found us.”</p><p>Lino nods.  “It’s always good, running into Jaskier.”</p><p>Marrisa calls for hir, and ze hops over the bar and runs through the door to the kitchen.</p><p>People start to come to the inn around sunset.  Two dark-skinned girls with their hair pulled into ponytails stop to talk with Lino for a moment.  Ciri guesses they must be the baker’s daughters, and the slightly lighter skinned man handing Marrisa a pile of fresh bread must be the baker.</p><p>Thom comes in with a few children who seem around his age.  Jaskier glances towards the front of the room, and shifts his lute from the back of the chair.</p><p>“I always play a set when I’m at Marrisa’s, it’s tradition,” he tells them as he leaves the table.</p><p>The night goes on.  The village seems fond of Jaskier, and his playing is received well.  Liquor apparently made in someone’s attic gets passed around.  Ciri tries a taste, but no more.  It wouldn’t do to get too relaxed.</p><p>Later, when the villagers have all left, Marrisa and Lino begin to clean the room (Thom has been sent to bed after arguing fiercely for an extra half hour.)  Ciri offers to help, leaving Jaskier and Geralt on their own.  She can hear them talking quietly as she works, drinking together and laughing.  She tunes them out until she hears, “You and your Geralt.  Were the two of you - were you -”</p><p>“Were we intimate?”</p><p>“Yes but.  More than that.  Were you -”</p><p>“Were we in love?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“We were.”  Jaskier’s voice is soft and sacred as he says the words.  “We were together for a year before he disappeared.  I always wished - I always wished we could have figured it all out earlier.”</p><p>“So do I,” Geralt says, voice even lower than usual.  </p><p>“You’re a good man,” Jaskier tells him.  “Just like my Geralt was.”</p><p>There’s a pause, and then Jaskier asks, “Do you want to - take this upstairs?”</p><p>“I would like that,” Geralt says.  “If you want -”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Ciri listens to the two of them climb the stairs, one at a time.</p><p>--</p><p>Ciri is awoken the next morning by Geralt standing at the end of her bed.  She is suddenly reminded of many, many mornings at Kaer Morhen, with one of the older witchers being sent to retrieve her when she didn’t come down on time.  “Are you coming down?” he asks.</p><p>She sits up in bed, tasting the air.  Something feels off, feels heavy.  It pulls at her chaos and makes her uneasy, off balance.</p><p>They sit together at one of the tables, and Marrisa brings them warm bread and fresh milk.  Jaskier is nowhere in sight.  Ciri shoots Geralt a look.</p><p>“He’s -” </p><p>“I can guess what the problem is.”</p><p>“Ah.  You heard?”</p><p>“Not that, thankfully, but I could hear you two talking last night.”  Geralt looks down at the floor, ashamed.</p><p>“He cried,” he says, and Ciri is about to tell him just how little she wants to hear about Jaskier crying during sex when Geralt adds, “After.”</p><p>“Ah.”</p><p>“I made a mistake.  It was - he was vulnerable, and I took advantage of that.  I didn’t mean to, but it’s what I did.  And I should have known better.”</p><p>Ciri tilts her head to one side.  “I’d like to know what Jaskier has to say about that.”</p><p>Geralt looks confused, so she continues.  “If I know the two of you, he’s upset because he thinks he was using you.”</p><p>Geralt looks at her for a long moment.  “Maybe you’re right,” he says, and goes back to his breakfast, looking no less miserable than he had before.</p><p>Jaskier comes downstairs a while later, eyes red.  He pulls out a chair next to them without saying a word.</p><p>“Jaskier,” Geralt says roughly.  Jaskier’s eyes begin to well with tears again as he looks up.  “I’m sorry about last night.”</p><p>“You’re - no, Geralt, I’m the one who should be sorry.  You’re not mine, and I knew that, no matter how much you seem like him.  I should have known - I shouldn’t have tried to get one more night with him by sleeping with you.”</p><p>Ciri feels very awkward, and is very glad none of the inn’s family are around.  She glances down at the bread she’s eating.  It’s very good, the baker must have trained somewhere fancy.</p><p>“I’m still sorry,” Geralt says, holding up a hand to stop Jaskier’s response.  “No, I am.  You were in a heightened emotional state and I should have considered that before - before giving in.”</p><p>“It’s alright, really.” Jaskier says.  “Maybe it’s even better, in some ways.  It never would have worked out well, but if we hadn’t I would always have wondered.”</p><p>Geralt bows his head, apparently out of words.  He has been shockingly emotionally honest this morning, Ciri thinks.  Maybe he’s talked himself dry.</p><p>Jaskier sighs, loud and long.  “I guess this is going to make traveling awkward, isn’t it?”</p><p>Geralt cracks a small smile.</p><p>Downstairs, the inn is tidy.  “We’ll have to set off today, I’m afraid,” Jaskier tells Thom, who’s face drops at the news.  “We still have a ways to go.”</p><p>“At least it doesn’t look like rain,” Lino says, sounding like ze’s trying to be optimistic.  “You’ll have a nice ride.”</p><p>“I gave Roach a warm bran mash for you this morning,” Thom says glumly.  Jaskier rests a hand on his shoulder. </p><p>“My friends here need help, same as your family did once.  But I promise as soon as I’ve seen them safely home, I’ll come back and spend a few days.”</p><p>He considers for a few minutes.  “I suppose that’s alright.”</p><p>Marrisa, standing behind the bar putting glasses left out to dry away, laughs.</p><p>The goodbye is almost a celebration, in a way.  Thom and Lino insist on seeing them out of town, after they’ve helped saddle Roach and pack the things on top of her.  They leave them at the town boundary, waving frantically, calling to Jaskier as they leave them behind.</p><p>On the road again, the uneasiness Ciri had felt earlier creeps back in, twining itself around the back of her neck.  She pulls up, looking around, unsettled.</p><p>“Ciri?”  Geralt asks, “what’s wrong?”</p><p>Moments after, the sky splits open, for real this time.  Jaskier cries out, more of a surprised yell than anything else.  Geralt grabs Roach’s reins as she spins in place, desperate to bolt.</p><p>Then the Watcher emerges.  “You know what that is?”  Jaskier yells over the whooshing noise coming from the still open portal.</p><p>“That’s it,” Geralt yells back.  “That’s the Watcher.”</p><p>“What do we do?” Jaskier asks frantically.  “It’s coming from the direction of the village!”</p><p>“We’ll fight it,” Geralt says.  “We’ll fight it as much as we can.”</p><p>“We have to go back,” Ciri says, horror pooling in her gut.  “We have to try to help them!”</p><p>Geralt nods.  “Are you charged enough to portal us closer?”  Ciri nods, grabbing his hand and hoping his connection to Roach’s reins will be enough.  The portal appears in the air, and she ignores Jaskier’s cry of “what on earth” and begins to drag them through.</p><p>The scene when they arrive at the village is horrific.  There’s chaos everywhere as the Watcher bears down, crushing buildings and obliterating chunks of earth.  Ciri hears a cry, and a moment later Thom is crashing into her legs.</p><p>“Jaskier,” he wails.  Jaskier scoops him up, angling him away from the destruction.</p><p>“Thom,” he says.  “Where are your family?”</p><p>Thom just shakes his head, then buries his head in Jaskier’s shoulder.</p><p>Ciri pulls at her chaos, readying for a fight, and feels Geralt doing the same beside her, hand already in the position for Aard.  The Watcher is almost upon them now, a wretched kind of chaos flying from it, and destruction lighting it’s path.</p><p>“I wish Yennefer were here,” Ciri yells in frustration.  The Watcher seems to hear her, and at the name, pulls back, roaring in anger.</p><p>The fight is shorter than Ciri wants to admit.  The Watcher is unstoppable in it’s frenzy, and the two of them alone aren’t able to stop it.  After a while of this, Jaskier yells, “you have to leave!  Go, the same way you came!”</p><p>“I’m not sure I have the power,” Ciri yells back.  Jaskier shakes his head.</p><p>“You have to try!”</p><p>“I’m not leaving you, Jaskier!”  Geralt howls</p><p>Jaskier shakes his head.  “You have to go, now!  You have to get out of here!”</p><p>Geralt is staring at him in disbelief.</p><p>“I’m not losing you twice!” Jaskier screams, and finally Geralt moves.  He grabs Ciri’s hand, and a moment later they’re hurtling through space.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!  If you enjoyed this, please check out the rest of the series, there are amazing authors working on it.  And if you're interested in this verse, please check out my tumblr at leavemecryingdandelion</p></blockquote></div></div>
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